The Great Awakening: A History of the Revival of Religion in the Time of Edwards and Whitefield by Joseph Tracy

Author:Joseph Tracy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-05-17T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XIV

Davenport. — His Rise, Progress, Excesses, Recovery, and “Retractations” His posthumous influence — The Eleventh Congregational Church in Boston Note, on the Catastrophe of Hugh Bryan

Repeated mention has been made, in the course of this history, of the Rev. James Davenport, of Southold, Long Island. He was a favorite of Whitefield, who met him in New Jersey, and had stood high in the opinion of the Tennents. The Rev. Andrew Croswell, in a pamphlet in his defence, produced numerous testimonies in his favor; for example: — “Mr. Whitefield declared in conversation, that he never knew one keep so close a walk with God as Mr. Davenport. Mr. Tennent, in my hearing, affirmed Mr. Davenport to be one of the most heavenly men he ever was acquainted with. Mr. Pomroy, who is acquainted with both, thinks he doth not come one whit behind Mr. Whitefield, but rather goes beyond him, for heavenly communion and fellowship with the Father and with the Son Jesus Christ. Mr. Parsons of Lyme told me the other day, [this was July 16, 1742,] that not one minister whom he had seen, was to be compared to Mr. Davenport for living near to God, and having his conversation always in heaven. Mr. Owen, also, of Groton, said that the idea he had of the apostles themselves scarcely exceeded what he saw in Mr. Davenport. In brief, there is not one minister in all Connecticut that is zealously affected in the good cause of God at this day, but instead of slighting him, is apt to think more highly of him than we ought to think of men, and to receive him almost as if he was an angel from heaven.” This is the statement of an honest partisan, — so far as a partisan can be honest; not false, but too highly colored. Davenport had certainly produced wonderful effects, and collected a large tribute of veneration. He rode, — to use language of a more modern date, — “on the very top wave of the spirit of the age.” More than any other man, he embodied in himself and promoted in others, all the unsafe extravagances into which the revival was running; and those whose zeal outran their knowledge, saw in him, what they proudly hoped soon to become. In admiring the “spirit of the age,” as it appeared in him, men admired their own spirit, full grown. Such a man could not fail to have a popularity, violent in his favor and vindictive against all opposers. As he went foremost in the wrong direction which the revival had begun to take, he was regarded by multitudes as its model man, by comparison with whom all others were to be judged. As appears from the concurrent testimony of all parties, his influence, mainly, brought the revival to a crisis. He led it so deeply into such errors, that it ought to stop, and provoked the opposition which brought it to an end. A knowledge of his

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